Thankfulness

As many of you know, things haven’t been the easiest lately.  My team and I have been facing many hardships, accidents, sickness, and more. Our hardship and pressed times haven’t also been without amazing strides forward and many answers to prayer.  I wanted to share a few today.

The village we go to on Wednesdays has one man that is faithfully reading the Big Book we gave him just before Christmas.  Last week I shared the story of Samuel with him and his neighbors. We got to pray with many, many people in the village, and we see relationships being built and going deeper. The man “R” in this village told us that he knows what he reads the Big Book the Father is speaking truth to him.

One man “S” I asked you to pray for was released from the hospital.  He and his family continue to grieve the loss of his mother and sister that were killed in the accident he was involved in.  He is lucky to be alive, and it’s truly a miracle the speed of his recovery. 

Another women I have been praying for, for over a year is opening up and softening.  This past weekend she asked me to have a time of “fellowship” with her and her daughter.  She said that we wanted to sing songs about JC and talk together.  Today, we were able to have a special time of sharing the Father’s words, praying and sharing requests together.

The doors for counseling have continued to open and God is granting me much favor to share truth and hope openly.  The word continues to spread and my clientele is building quicker than I seem to have time for.  The Drug and Alcohol rehab I work in has their very first female clients.  I have been able to work with them as well as the 25 men who reside in the rehab.  I have a family with a 9 year old boy who is struggling that has repeatedly come to see me.  A battered woman and I meet weekly.  Twenty-six young boys who come from shattered homes and difficult and abusive pasts meet with me each Tuesday.  I see the hope in their eyes and slowly, slowly the words of truth are filling their mouths.  I hear the change in their words and I see JC shaping them with his love and healing power.

Treks to surrounding areas and village continue to go on throughout the summer before monsoon sets in.  Hungry hearts are being fed new living words of Truth.  Recently, in one village a man and his entire family had been waiting for someone to come bapt!ze them. They are growing in their faith and we ready to show their entire community the new found faith they have in JC by getting bapt!zed publically.

Though my health isn’t perfect today, it’s much, much better than it has been.  I was tested for Typhoid this week and parasites and both tests are negative. I am thankful for strength each day and God’s grace.

Thank you for your prayers and steadfastness!


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Bhindi or “Tikka” Mark on the Head- What is it?

Image
(Pooja tikka mark) Many westerners have asked me what the Bhindi or red “tikka” mark means or why I am willing to wear it as a Chri$tian. Many people associate this mark with H!nduism. In my contextualization classes we were taught about finding the difference between culture and religion. The scripture is clear that we don’t want to do anything to compromise our Chri$tian faith and values. At the same time the go$pel is full of the liberties that Chri$t brought to us through the cross. We are no longer obligated to religious practices and rituals. Chri$t fulfilled the law. As we work with non-believers we don’t want to make Chri$tianity another religion. We don’t want to make following Chri$t more difficult than it has to be. Following Je$us doesn’t have to mean abandoning culture, it just has to mean abandoning any other faith or practices of that faith. As teachers, we have to help our disciples find this difference as they come to follow the Father more and more. We don...
Read more

What’s It Like Here with Lockdown?

Image
(This woman sold her husband's phone for 2500rps ($33) to buy food.) I don’t think any country or family has it “easy” during these Covid-19 times, but I do think Third World Countries like ours have it a little harder.  Many of the people who are day laborers or migrants are really struggling. These are the people who work every day to get income to supply that same day’s food supply. Without it, they have no food to eat. With lockdown, most of this population is without income and therefore without food. Today, news came that one lady died from hunger in Nep@l.  Each day the news is filled with stories and pictures of desperate slum dwellers lined up at NGO doors for food donations or migrant day laborers walking thousands of miles to try to go back to their cities or countries to find food. The stories are gut retching.  In our personal city, we haven’t seen these stories first hand. Throughout the country, there are government programs ...
Read more

But God...

Every Knee Will Bow And Every Tongue Will Confess Truly everywhere we look is need- physical, emotional, financial, and spiritual. I see the man with elephantitis lift his giant leg to shift his position as he sits on a mat begging for money on the side of the road. I see a woman sitting on a patch of grass on the edge of a busy highway practicing her meditation attempting to find her inner peace. I see a young girl on her way to school stop to touch the street cow and then touch her own forehead in hopes that her Hindu practices will reap the blessing from her god (cow). Simultaneously, I see a shop keeper allow the giant cow to mosey along his street front restaurant; he even offers the cow freshly made roti (bread) as to not offend his “god” passing by. I see another person practicing yoga with all the pristine positions and poses. Her breaths are well practiced, yet her face is stricken with the look of anxiety and distress.  I see a young man who ...
Read more